Well, where has the last 2 and a half weeks gone? What have I achieved? To be frank, very little.
Wednesday 30th September - Swim AM, Ride AM, Shortened track session PM. "Day from Hell" with The Animal, joined for parts with the Welshman and Coburn.
Thursday 1st October - Run AM with The Animal and the Welshman.
It was this PM track run of about 5km followed by the AM run of 10km that caused the knee injury that I have been nursing for the last 2.5 weeks. ITB-related tendonosis on the outside of the right knee has made running, riding and swimming a bit of an issue.
That weekend was a lazy Saturday followed by an enjoyable MTB ride at Yarramundi on some impressive Specialized Mountain Bikes. This demo day, put on by friend's of my bro's, was a great opportunity to ride expensive bikes in the mud, and not be concerned about having to clean them.
Sunday MTB ride with Berro in Glenbrook: another chance to play in the mud on some great single track. Backed up with a run up to Springwood Pool for a swim with James (joined afterwards by thr Girls for a play in the kiddy pool) and run home. At this stage the knee was protesting considerably.
Had an ITB release on Wednesday to see if this could help the knee. Swim session that evening was causing some discomfort, mainly with pushing off the wall. Quick chat with Olly saw confirmation of my suspicions, with some advice offered to rest the knee and do some stretches.
Put the bike in with Dave Richo at Panthers Cycles to get some noises looked at and some new grip tape put on my bars. Picked it up after work Thursday, very impressed with the improvements made. A new chain and some tweaking of the seat and bars made a big difference to my position and the feel of the bike.
Sat AM ride with the Tri Club was great. Knee was a little tender, but after pretty much a week of little exercise and plenty of carbs the legs felt great. After leaving home late I made good time to get to the Truck Stop just in time to head out with the guys doing the longer ride. Gagas was there, so glad I had someone I knew to chat with. Pace was good, and I spent a good deal of the ride on the front. I think this is a weakness, and tends to see me hit the wall on the longer rides. Today was different though, as the wall never seemed to come, and I felt strong for the whole 130km. Included the hills behind Silverdale.
Sunday MTB ride up The Oaks from Glenbrook to meet with the Bro who was coming down from Woodford. Made it up to the first steep climb after the helipad, where I met Tim cranking it down the left-hander in the opposite direction. This was a solid 49 minute hard session keeping a steady pace the whole way. Rode back to the single track and eventually to the top of the causeway where we were met by another friend for another loop of the Single Track. All up close to 40km on the MTB, which was a reasonable effort after the ride the day before.
Wednesday AM ride round the loop with the Welshman, via Nepean River to catch the end of the World Masters Games Kayak races. Some fit and impressive old blokes on display.
Backed up with a MTB ride with the Bro and Mr Everson down Anderson's FT from Wentworth Falls to Woodford. Original Plan was to link to The Oaks, however dinner arrangements put a time limit on the afternoon. Took the single speed MTB out for a run, making the climb out of Bedford Creek all the more challenging.
Not much running for 2 weeks now.
Saturday the 17th was supposed to be a chance for redemption, however work commitments put that to bed. That evening saw a return to running with a short hit out with Donges and Baz around Springwood. Knee still sore at times, however responded well to a faster pace. Pain quickly gone after stopping.
Tomorrow needs to be a big day as I have far too many stored carbohydrates to burn.
